


Flint to Flame

by magnusragnor



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: AU, Firefighter AU, Firefighter!Magnus, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 03:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14011620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnusragnor/pseuds/magnusragnor
Summary: Magnus is the Captain of one of the finest fire stations in NYC. When he meets Alec, a handsome stranger, at an event, he secretly hopes their one night fling can turn into something more, but the last thing he's expecting is to see him standing among the other firefighter recruits.(aka the firefighter au no one asked for)





	Flint to Flame

**Author's Note:**

> smeLLO and welcome to my sh big bang fic!! being a part of the big bang has been a wild but super rewarding experience and i'm so excited to share chapter 1 out of 2 of my firefighter au fic! 
> 
> this fic would not be possible without my wonderful beta and wife, [charl](http://katlisha.tumblr.com) and my incredible artist and my heart, [ellie](http://magnusbaene.tumblr.com) \- you two are so special to me and i honestly wouldn't have written more than 2 words without your incredible support and love. i love you both so so much and thank you again for everything <3
> 
> also a shoutout to the senpais for being people i could share and enjoy this experience w every day - y'all know who you are and i appreciate and love you so much. :**
> 
> OK THAT'S ENOUGH RAMBLING BE SURE TO CHECK OUT ELLIE'S BEAUTIFUL ART THAT SHE CREATED FOR THIS FIC I'M V IN LOVE W IT OK IT'S [HERE](http://magnusbaene.tumblr.com/post/172002525408/flint-to-flame-%C2%BD-by-alecsimon-malec) <3
> 
> enjoy!!!

The venue is decorated with lights hanging from the ceiling in waves, illuminating the otherwise dim dance floor. The band that’s playing is nice, Magnus muses, sipping on his drink, but he isn’t really here for the music.

It’s been a long night of drinking and dancing, Magnus enjoying a rare night off. Usually being a firefighter means long, tedious shifts that go on for more than 12 hours, but sometimes - sometimes - Magnus is lucky enough to get out early and get a night on the town having fun with Tessa.

She’d gone home a few minutes ago, always one to leave a party early. Their night of bar hopping had been a nice distraction from Magnus’ long shift tomorrow, but he knows Tessa needs her sleep.

Now he’s in an underground gay bar, the last that they’d ended up in, enjoying watching the crowds. Magnus’ drink is still half full and pretty strong, even for his taste, so maybe taking his time to finish it is for the best. Magnus is still buzzed, the effects of the alcohol wearing off, leaving his body pleasantly warm.

His eyes scan the dance floor, the mass of bodies pressed up against each other. Lips grazing necks, hands sliding over hips. Magnus loves the nightlife of New York City, but it hasn’t been so kind to him lately, seeing as he hasn’t gotten laid in over a month.

Magnus partially blames his busy schedule, though. There’s just not enough time in the day for him to meet someone he actually wants to sleep with, much less actually date.

It feels almost like fate when, in that moment, Magnus’ eyes meet another man’s across the bar.

The first thing Magnus notices is that the man is tall, with messy dark hair and piercing hazel eyes. He’s ridiculously attractive - broad shoulders, full lips - and when his fingers slide across the glass of his drink, Magnus is positive it’s on purpose.

Magnus tilts his head to the side a little, a grin on his face that he hopes is giving the handsome man across the bar all the invitation he needs.

The small smile he gets in return is _delicious_. The tall man grabs his half full drink and makes his way towards Magnus, smiling as he passes various people. Magnus leans his side against the bar, watching the man until he’s finally right in front of Magnus. He blatantly checks Magnus out and he seems to radiate confidence, but Magnus notices one of his hands drums repetitively, almost nervously, on the surface of the bar.

“Hello, handsome,” Magnus says. The man smiles almost instantly.

“Hello to you, too,” he replies, “You know, I’m not usually one to make the first move, but if I’d passed up an opportunity to talk to you, I would have probably regretted it for the rest of my life.”

Magnus hums, his heart doing a pleasant little flip in his chest. He blames the alcohol and not the other man’s beautiful smile and deep voice. “Do you say that to everyone you pick up at a bar?”

The man laughs softly before shaking his head. “Only the really attractive ones,” he says, and Magnus can hear the joking tone in his voice. “My name’s Alec.”

“Magnus,” Magnus replies, offering his hand. Alec shakes Magnus’ hand and then takes another sip of his drink, Magnus mirroring him.

“So, do you come here often?” Alec asks, looking at Magnus with a small grin.

Magnus laughs softly. “No,” he says, swirling his straw in his drink, “but it seems it was fate that I came here tonight.”

Alec flushes under the subdued multicolored club lights, but otherwise remains cool and collected, the smile still on his face. “I suppose so.”

“I just had the longest weekend,” Magnus explains, “so I’m grateful to get a day to myself sometimes. My friend and I were bar hopping earlier and we ended up here. But she went home early and left me to finish my drink alone.”

Alec nods, his eyes sweeping over Magnus’ almost empty glass.

“Well, it would only be polite for me to buy you another, when you’ve finished,” he says.

Usually, Magnus doesn’t care much for the small talk that comes before a one night stand, but he’s actually enjoying himself. It’s cute, the back and forth between him and Alec. Magnus is just hoping that Alec has the same idea for how the rest of the night will go.

“Can I be honest with you?” Magnus asks, and Alec blinks at him, raising one eyebrow with a small nod. “There’s a few ways I picture the rest of this night going. You let me take you on that dance floor and we can pretend like we’re trying to keep it PG-13 when we both know we’re going to end up grinding on each other after the first song, or we sit here and chat a little bit more, and I can tell you about my job and my cat as you pretend to be incredibly interested when we both know exactly what you’re actually interested in. Or, the last option - my favourite, to be honest - is we skip all that and you let me take you to bed right now.”

Alec’s eyes have darkened significantly as he’s listened to Magnus, which gives Magnus a slight thrill. _I still got it_ , he thinks to himself.

“Well,” Alec says, his voice a little breathless as he studies Magnus’ face, “I’m not much of a dancer, and while I would genuinely be interested in hearing all about your job and your cat, I think those are definitely conversations we can have tomorrow morning.”

Alec licks his lips absently and Magnus tries really hard not to find it stupidly attractive.

“Glad we’re on the same page, then,” Magnus says, tracing his fingers lightly up and down Alec’s bicep. “So - my place, or yours?”

__________

Early morning sun filters in through the windows, casting the entire bedroom in a soft and warm glow. Magnus’ golden sheets are illuminated by the rays of light, and Magnus curls lazily in to the warm body next to him, his eyes still closed.

Magnus blinks awake slowly; everything seems to move in a lazy Sunday tempo as Magnus peeks up and sees Alec softly snoring, still fast asleep.

Last night was the most fun Magnus has had in awhile. Not only is Alec an amazing kisser, with strong hands and soft lips, but he’s also adorable, and really easy to talk to. Sometimes one night stands leave Magnus feeling empty inside from how bland they are, but with Alec, it was light and easy, and the sex was _really_ fucking good.

Magnus gently uncurls himself from under Alec’s arm, making sure not to wake him. He gets a new pair of underwear from his closet and goes to the kitchen, letting Alec sleep a little longer. He flips the switch on his espresso machine and then turns on the waffle iron, listening to them buzz with life as he takes a step back, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Being a firefighter means early wake ups come almost naturally after years of training his body. Magnus also tends to be ridiculously alert most of the time, which is another side effect of the job. Napping in the firestation does that to a person: Magnus knows that if he snoozes for an hour in his office, he needs to be ready in case of danger. It’s a pain in the ass sometimes - he’s woken up unnecessarily before to obnoxiously loud footsteps coming from the apartment upstairs.

Nobody ever said being a fireman would be easy, but Magnus loves it. It’s a part of who he is, and he’s grateful to have a career in which he saves lives.

Magnus gets to work on preparing the waffles, turning some soft jazz music on through his speakers to create a mellow ambiance. It takes a few minutes to make a small stack of waffles for the two of them. When Magnus has finished up, now refilling his empty coffee mug, he hears soft footsteps coming from behind him.

He turns, unable to stop the smile that blooms on his face at the sight that greets him.

“Good morning,” Magnus says, laughing softly as Alec scratches his shoulder, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Alec’s eyes are half lidded, his hair is a mess on the top of his head, and he just might be the cutest thing Magnus has ever seen.

Alec turns a pretty shade of pink when he finally reacts to Magnus’ greeting.

“Morning,” he replies, and _oh_ , his voice is a little lower from sleep. Magnus can’t remember any of his hookups ever being quite like this.

“Bathroom’s on your left,” Magnus says, jerking his head towards it.

Alec nods and smiles a little, then walks towards the bathroom and closes the door behind him. While he waits, Magnus finishes making his mug of coffee and pours another one for Alec. He doesn’t know how Alec takes it, though, so he takes out some coconut milk and his sugar pot just in case.

In the middle of cutting some fruit for the waffles, Magnus hears the bathroom door open again. He’s finishing cutting a strawberry, about to turn around, when he feels two hands on his waist. The touch is feather light, as if Alec is unsure where they stand and how to act now that it’s the morning after, and Magnus bites his lip to fight off a smile.

“Feeling a little more awake?” Magnus asks lightly. Alec must hear the unspoken confirmation in Magnus’ voice because his touch becomes more sure, his hands snaking around Magnus’ waist and pulling him against his torso. Alec’s lips find Magnus’ neck, and Magnus thinks that he wouldn’t mind getting used to this.

Alec presses kisses to Magnus’ bare shoulder, humming against the skin before trailing his lips back to Magnus’ ear. “The waffles smell amazing.”

“Thank you,” Magnus says, letting out a small breath at how nice Alec feels pressed against his back, his lips still mapping out Magnus’ exposed skin. “There’s coffee on the counter if you’d like.”

“Coffee sounds incredible right now,” Alec says, “but first...” Alec waits until Magnus has put the knife down to turn him and kiss him properly on the lips.

Magnus cups Alec’s face, smiling against his mouth and wrapping his other arm around Alec’s neck, bringing him closer.

Alec hums pleasantly, and suddenly Magnus is being pressed against the counter. Magnus is warm all over from Alec’s enthusiastic hands, and he’s two seconds away from saying _screw the waffles_ and dragging Alec back into the bedroom when he feels fur against his ankle. Alec jumps a little, pulling back and looking down.

“You have a cat,” Alec says, a little breathless, and Magnus can’t help laughing. He bends down to pick up Bryant, his fat ginger cat, into his arms and peppers him with kisses.

“I do,” Magnus replies with a smile, “I wasn’t lying about that.”

“No, I just -” Alec reaches his hand up and scratches Bryant behind his ears, earning a loud purr from the cat. “I just didn’t notice him last night.”

“I think you might have been preoccupied with something else, darling,” Magnus teases and Alec flushes, rolling his eyes good naturedly.

Alec takes Bryant from Magnus’ arms, giving the cat some extra attention while Magnus finishes up making breakfast. He serves up both of their dishes on the table and Alec sits down in front of him, an easy and relaxed grin on his face.

Breakfast is nice and light, conversation flowing comfortably. They talk about their favorite books and movies, and Magnus finds that while they have a lot of common interests, they also have a few contrasting opinions. Watching Alec laugh as Magnus teases him about how he thinks Lord of The Rings is better than Harry Potter is definitely worth it, though.

All too soon, however, Alec is checking the clock and telling Magnus he has to meet up with his sister at noon. Magnus waves off Alec’s string of apologies and gives Alec a clean towel to use after his shower. Magnus doesn’t remember the last time he was this nice to a one night stand, but by the time Alec has finished getting ready, Magnus has decided that he doesn't want this to be just a one night stand. He wants more with Alec, and he knows he’ll regret it for forever if he doesn’t try while he has the chance.

“I’m sorry, I should have mentioned meeting my sister before,” Alec says, shrugging on his jacket and patting down his pockets to make sure he has everything. “It’s just - well, this was fun. I didn’t want it to end.”

“Maybe it doesn’t have to,” Magnus says, before wrinkling his nose. “That sounded smoother in my head,” he adds, and Alec chuckles as Magnus grabs his phone from the kitchen counter. “Would it be too forward of me to ask for you number?”

“You told me last night that you wanted to take me to bed, and you’re worried about being forward _now_?” Alec asks, but the grin on his face tells Magnus that he’s just joking.

Magnus raises an eyebrow as Alec types in his number and hands the phone back to Magnus.

“That’s the whole point of the number exchange,” Magnus teases. “I’d like to do that again sometime. Maybe even treat you to dinner beforehand, like a gentleman.”

“Are you asking your one night stand on a date?” Alec asks, his eyes alight.

Magnus takes a step closer. “I am,” he confirms, smiling, “but maybe we’ll just happen to bump into each other again at some point. Who knows?”

“I hope so,” Alec says, and then he’s leaning forward and kissing Magnus again, briefly, before pulling away.

“Go,” Magnus says, his heart swelling in his chest and cheeks aching from all the smiling he’s been doing this morning, “or else you’re going to be late. I’ll text you.”

Alec nods, and takes one last look at Magnus, his lip quirking up a little, before he’s out the door. Magnus looks down at his phone and smiles at the new contact.

_Alec Lightwood._

Magnus hopes this isn’t the last he’s going to see of him.

__________

The next few days pass pretty easily. The only major fire that Magnus’ team have to deal with is a small house fire in the Lower East Side. Sometimes time flows like this when you’re a firefighter - it turns into paperwork and other miscellaneous tasks all while waiting for, God forbid, some kind of emergency call.

Magnus walks into his office on the first floor of the fire station and takes off his jacket, hanging it on the back of his desk chair. He’s been working a ridiculous amount of double shifts lately, but there’s something about the early morning shifts that Magnus enjoys. The chilled morning air, the fresh coffee, hearing all his coworkers gather in the kitchen starting off their day.

Not to mention, today is Thursday, and every Thursday the whole team pitches in to buy the station bagels. It’s been a tradition in the station for as long as Magnus has been here, and firefighters enjoy tradition. Chief Garroway is no different. He’s also a good friend of Magnus’, and it’s an honor to work beside him as his Captain.

Magnus makes his way down the hall and into the kitchen, smiling when he sees Maia taking her mug from the cupboard and pouring herself some coffee.

She turns when she hears the door open and grins at him. “Morning, Captain.”

“Good morning to you too, Lieutenant,” Magnus says, walking over to her and taking his own mug from the dishwasher - a donut patterned one he’d gotten from Ragnor when he became a firefighter. “How was the vet yesterday?”

“The worst,” Maia mumbles, pulling out some sugar packets from the table and shaking them. “Parker was so sick all night, but the meds finally kicked in this morning and she’s feeling better. Gretel’s watching her right now.”

Magnus hums, pouring himself some coffee as well. “I’m glad to hear it,” Magnus responds honestly. Maia’s giant husky has been sick for two days, and they sent her home early last night so she could bring her to the vet.

“What about you?” Maia asks, blowing over the rim of her mug. “Did you finally text your handsome one night stand?”

“Not yet,” Magnus says, a small smile on his face. “But trust me, I will. No way am I letting someone that good looking get away so easily.”

It had been the talk of the station the morning after when Magnus came in all smiles and practically floating on air. Raphael had spent most of the day teasing Magnus about his “secret lover” until Magnus finally cracked at lunchtime and told his fellow team about his incredible night. Since then, everyone’s been pestering Magnus about finally texting Alec, but with the workload they’ve had recently, it’s been practically impossible for Magnus to get a minute to himself.

“You better,” Maia says as they both walk to the dining table, sitting down across from each other. Maia is opening her mouth to say something else when the door swings open, revealing Luke, with a giant box of bagels.

“My my, Chief Garroway, are you actually late today?” Magnus teases, taking a sip from his mug with a smile. Luke narrows his eyes playfully, both of them knowing that all three of them are a few minutes early.

“This damn lady held up the line at Murray’s today. All I needed to do was pay, but she had a thousand questions about different gluten types and then decided on a plain bagel with butter,” Luke says, setting down the tray with a huff. His FDNY shirt stretches over his chest as he puts his hands on his hips. “And _then_ ,” Luke continues, “she decided to pay in coins. I’m not kidding. Her entire order - only coins.”

Maia laughs and Magnus chuckles as Luke collapses into the seat next to Maia.

“Anyway, what were you guys talking about?” Luke asks as Maia gets up to get them all paper plates.

“Just about how Magnus hasn’t texted or called his one true love yet,” Maia says. Magnus rolls his eyes jokingly, but Luke leans forward, a grin on his face.

“Are you going to do it soon?” Luke asks, grabbing an everything bagel once Maia sets down the plates and beginning to coat it with cream cheese.

“I didn’t know you both worked part time as experts in my love life,” Magnus says dryly, and Maia smirks.

“You’re just mad because you know we’re right and you haven’t stopped thinking about him since that night,” she responds.

Magnus glares at her, grabbing a poppy seed bagel after passing one to Maia. The door opens again as Meliorn comes in, his hair up in a top bun.

“Good morning,” he greets, nodding at the three of them.

“Morning, Meliorn,” everyone chants back.

Magnus enjoys these leisurely moments with his station. Despite all being coworkers, Magnus also considers these people his closest friends - there’s an easy air that flows around their workplace when there’s no immediate danger, like the calm before the storm.

Magnus’ phone buzzes with an urgent email and he groans, pocketing his phone and picking up his coffee and bagel.

“Time to go take care of some business,” he says, before looking at Maia. “Don’t forget to meet me in my office to discuss the Academy students coming in on Monday.”

Maia salutes him in understanding. “You got it, boss,” she says as Magnus makes his way out of the kitchen.

When he walks into his office, the red light on his office phone is already blinking from missed calls, even though it wasn’t doing that when he’d gotten in earlier that morning. With a sigh, he sits behind his desk, already picking up the phone. It looks like he has a long few days ahead of him.

__________

“See you at lunch, Magnus?” Cat asks, as they both exit the conference room a few days later.

“Yeah, of course,” Magnus says with a smile, tucking a file under his arm.

“Take care of the fresh meat today,” Cat says. “Don’t give them too much of a hard time.”

Magnus laughs, walking backwards and waving at her. “I’ll do my best. See you at lunch, my dear,” he replies, and she waves back with a small laugh herself.

The office has been buzzing all day over the new Fire Academy students that are coming in today. They’re just starting on their journey to taking the necessary exams that all firefighters have to take in order to become certified.

These students are honor students as well, meaning that they all got into the extremely selective program of 32 students who will get actual help from Magnus’ firefighter squad on one of the hardest tests they have to take - the physical exam.

Maia had taken care of the setup of the program, giving Luke and Magnus progress reports every few days. Magnus had tried to assist her the best he could, but Maia was genuinely excited about the program and had taken on most of the work herself. Both she and Magnus had been part of the same program themselves at different times.

Today is only day one of the 18 week period. During this time, the students will taking classes and study for their big exams to become firefighters. The process is tedious and a lot of work - Magnus remembers going through it himself - but these recruits are the most promising amongst their class.

It’s also the last big thing Magnus has to take care of before he has a day to himself - specifically, a day to text Alec and ask if he wants to get lunch or dinner tomorrow. Magnus hadn’t had a chance to explain to Alec what his job was and how insane the hours could be, so he hopes that an apology and a nice bouquet of flowers can make up for the fact that it took him several days to text Alec.

Magnus drops off the file in his office and makes his way to the gymnasium in the fire station. He slips his phone out of his sweatpants’ pocket and skims through his contacts, a small smile on his face as he reaches Alec’s name. He taps on it and types out a text message.

_Sorry about how late this text message is, love. I can explain everything at dinner tonight, if you’re free?_

Magnus hits send and puts his phone away, already feeling lighter at the possibility of seeing Alec soon. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been thinking about Alec almost every day since they parted that morning.

Magnus pushes on the gym doors and walks inside, seeing Maia, Luke and Dot off to the side, peering over to look at the clipboard in Maia’s hands. There’s also a bunch of other people Magnus doesn’t recognize on the other side of the gymnasium, split up into smaller groups and talking amongst themselves.

“Hey,” Luke says when Magnus approaches them, patting Magnus’ shoulder. He glances over at Maia. “You ready to start?”

Maia nods and the four of them stand in line, shoulder to shoulder, facing the students. They tuck their hands behind their backs, modeling how the students should stand when they get in line. Maia blows her whistle and there’s momentary silence before the recruits get in an orderly line.

Maia starts off welcoming the students and congratulating them on making it into the program. Magnus takes the opportunity to scan them slowly. Most look nervous, some look way too cocky, but overall, they look like a promising bunch.

Magnus is just as excited to be helping out on this program as Maia is. He remembers being in the shoes of all the students, looking at the firefighters that trained him like they were heroes.

As Luke introduces himself, Magnus feels someone watching him. He looks down the line, and about halfway along he spots a very familiar pair of hazel eyes.

Alec Lightwood.

Well, shit.

Magnus blinks, his chest growing tight as he gives Alec a once-over, completely taken aback. Alec Lightwood is standing _right there_. He vaguely hears Luke say his name, his eyes still glued to Alec. It takes a moment for Magnus to collect himself, but he clears his throat, straightening up.

“My name is Captain Magnus Bane,” Magnus says, looking down the line again and meeting Alec’s eyes. “I’m second in command here at Engine 7. I’ll be here every other week to help you all out. If you have any questions at all, as Maia said, you can ask me for guidance.”

Dot proceeds to introduce herself, and when Magnus looks back at Alec again, he’s averted his gaze, looking directly at Dot.

It’s professional of him, giving Dot his undivided attention. Magnus knows right then that whatever was sparking between them can’t happen. Not now, not with Magnus being Alec’s superior.

Magnus tries not to feel too disappointed as Maia begins going down a list on her clipboard, taking attendance. Midway she calls for an Alexander Lightwood, and Magnus sees Alec raise his hand. He takes a deep breath and waits patiently for Maia to get through the list on names before she blows her whistle again.

“Okay, rookies, let’s get down to business.”

__________

The first session of training is pretty basic. Dot goes through an overall explanation of all the different physical exams they’ll have to pass, promising to go into detail later. Every one of the newcomers needs to be in shape, so when Dot’s done, Maia walks them through the basic warm up and cool down that will be done in every session, and proceeds to take all their measurements individually.

Luke and Magnus’ job - for the time being - is to observe how Maia and Dot lead the program. They stand over at the side and watch, and when Magnus meets Luke’s eyes, he knows they’re in agreement that the ladies are crushing it.

Magnus tries his best to avoid intently watching Alec, but he can’t help it. His eyes are drawn to him, and based on the numerous amount of times throughout the session that their eyes meet, he’s sure Alec feels that way too.

Part of Magnus wishes he’d texted Alec sooner, but maybe it’s for the best that he waited. If he’d spoken more to Alec and his admiration of him had grown, well, seeing him here today would have only hurt more.

Maia dismisses the group after an hour, telling them they did great and to come prepared to sweat in their next session. Magnus watches some of the students filter out, collecting their things and leaving, but Alec lingers alongside a shorter guy with glasses.

“I’ll wait for them all to leave,” Magnus says to Luke, who nods in response and walks out with Maia and Dot.

Magnus looks at them before averting his gaze back to the recruits. There’s only a handful of people left, and Magnus figures this is a good time for him to be able to talk to Alec without it looking too suspicious. He walks over, his shoulders back, nodding to a few people he makes eye contact with before standing behind Alec and clearing his throat.

Alec turns, looking a little surprised. He blinks, his eyes searching Magnus’ face for a moment as they both try to talk at the same time.

“Hi -”

“What -”

They both stop and smile awkwardly at one another, and Alec gestures at him. “You go first.”

“I just wanted to say hello,” Magnus says, and the other guy next to Alec looks between the two of them, his eyes narrowing.

“It’s an honor to be here, Captain,” Alec says, looking over to his right at his friend. “This is Simon Lewis, and I’m Alec Lightwood.”

“Pleasure,” Magnus says, keeping up the act momentarily.

“It really is an honor,” Simon says, butting in. “This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, so thanks for, you know, taking the time out of your busy days to help us.”

“I started out in this program myself,” Magnus says, shifting his gaze from Simon to Alec. “It’s a lot of work, but it makes all the difference. I’m glad I can give you the opportunity to succeed.”

A silence settles between them, as Magnus and Alec just look at each other. Magnus feels a little out of his depths here - he doesn’t know what to do. He’s never been in a situation like this before.

Simon must realize the air is tense between them and he fishes his phone out of his jacket pocket, looking at the time.

“Shit,” Simon says, grabbing Alec’s attention. “I have to go help my grandmother with grocery shopping in like half an hour. I need to go.”

Simon pats Alec on the shoulder and looks over at Magnus.

“I’ll see you around, Captain Bane,” Simon says, and Magnus nods with a small smile. “See ya, Alec. Text me later!” Simon salutes as he jogs out of the gymnasium.

Alec nods in response, but he seems distracted now, and Magnus can’t help but notice that there’s only two people left in the gym besides them, a considerable distance away. Alec rocks from heel to toe, his hands behind his back.

“Making friends already?” Magnus asks.

“Simon?” Alec asks. “No, Simon’s been my best friend since kindergarten. We both wanted to become firefighters and applied to this program. We were ecstatic when we both got in together.”

“I’m glad you’re sharing this experience with someone,” Magnus says honestly. His heart is hammering in his chest, and he isn’t quite sure why.

“I wasn’t expecting this, to be honest,” Alec says after a short pause, his eyes on the ground and a tiny smile on his face.

“Neither was I,” Magnus replies, chewing on his lower lip. “I texted you right before I walked in. I’m sorry for taking so long, I -”

“No, no,” Alec says, looking up at Magnus and furrowing his eyebrows. “I get it, Magnus. You’re a firefighter. You were busy fighting fires and saving people. I was hoping to bump into you after I left your place, to be honest, just not this way.”

“It didn’t occur to me that we didn’t speak about work at all until I saw you here today,” Magnus says, and Alec nods slowly. “Needless to say, Alec, this - us - we can’t.”

“I know,” Alec replies, and although he tries to smile, it looks a little sad.

“It’s unprofessional and would show favoritism. I want to be Chief one day,” Magnus explains a little desperately. A part of him feels as though he can’t let Alec think it was his fault at all. That, had they met under any other circumstances, Magnus would have properly wined and dined Alec on their first date and kissed him at the end of the night.

“Magnus,” Alec says, and the smile on his face looks a little more genuine, “I understand. I wish it could be different, but I get it. We’re both adults, and I respect you enough to not let this get in the way of anything.”

Alec looks like he’s about to say something else but he doesn’t, and Magnus can’t help the admiration that blooms in his chest for the man in front of him.

They stand in silence for another moment, but it feels comfortable now, and Magnus feels more at ease because they’re on the same page.

“I, um - I have to get back to work,” Magnus says, pointing his thumb behind him. Alec nods, picking up his gym bag.

“Yeah, of course,” he replies, licking his bottom lip. “Have a good day. Be safe.”

Magnus smiles brightly and nods. “I’ll see you around.”

Alec walks backwards a few steps with a grin, raising his hand in a wave. Magnus returns it, and waits for Alec to walk out the exit before exhaling, shoulders sagging in relief that their conversation went well. He tries not to think about the fact that he’ll have to see Alec around all the time now.

It’s going to be a long 18 weeks.

__________

Magnus unwinds his scarf as he steps into the familiar, buzzing coffee shop. It’s early in the morning but the place is already coming to life with students and unlucky business workers who’ve got stuck with a 7am shift. Magnus makes his way to the short line and searches his bag for his wallet.

He likes to come to work looking fresh - it makes him feel good about himself - but the long days firefighters spend at the station means pretty much everyone else walks around in lazy sweats and FDNY shirts. Magnus can’t help admiring Luke’s commitment to his relaxed attire.

Then again, not everyone has a build and charming smile like Chief Garroway.

Magnus makes his way to the front of the line and smiles kindly at the worker, ordering his usual almond milk latte and tipping the cashier generously before proceeding across the shop to the drinks pick up area.

This coffee shop might be his favorite. Their croissants are always fresh and the coffee is smooth and strong, not like the watered down stuff you get in other places in New York City. The service is always nice and whenever Magnus needs a break, he knows the seats in here are big and comfortable.

It’s no wonder the place is always swamped by noon.

Magnus glances around, taking in the ambiance and breathing in the rich scent of coffee and chocolate in the air when he spots a familiar profile sitting by the window. Hunched over a book, hair messy and glasses perched on the tip of his nose, is Alec Lightwood himself. Maybe, Magnus thinks, fate is trying to give him some sort of sign.

It’s wishful thinking. They’ve both agreed entertaining anything romantic would be wildly inappropriate. Still, a guy can dream.

His coffee order is called out and Magnus turns back to the barista, smiling and thanking her. He knows he should just leave, maybe wave if Alec happens to see him, but somehow Magnus’ body reacts before he can think and he’s suddenly standing right next to Alec’s table. Alec is so stressed out he barely seems to notice.

“Hello,” Magnus says, obviously startling Alec by the way he jumps out of his seat.

“Magnus,” Alec says, pushing his glasses up his nose and relaxing again. “Hi. I’m - it’s good to see you. What are you doing here?”

“It’s a coffee shop, Alexander,” Magnus says, testing out Alec’s full name on his tongue and enjoying the way Alec flushes a soft pink. “I’m getting coffee.” He lifts up his hand holding his coffee cup to make a point, and the corner of Alec’s lip quirks up.

“Yeah,” Alec says, nodding his head for a moment before gesturing to the seat across from him. “Feel free to join me, if you’d like.”

“Thank you,” Magnus says, and while he really shouldn’t do it, should really leave the shop and platonically see Alec later at a training session, he does have a few minutes to spare, and, well, what’s the harm? He takes the seat across Alec and sets his cup down on the table. “What’re you studying?”

“Hazardous Materials. I’ve got a teacher who supposedly gives out ridiculously hard exams, and I barely get half of the material.” Alec rubs at his forehead, looking back down at the open book in his lap. “I’m just stressed, I guess. I don’t wanna screw everything up now.”

Magnus hums, glancing over at the textbook and recognizing the familiar diagrams. “You have Professor Stowers, don’t you?”

Alec looks up at him, his eyes lighting up almost instantly. “Yeah, yeah. Why? Did you have him?”

“I did,” Magnus says, jerking his chin towards the textbook. “May I?”

Alec passes Magnus the textbook and Magnus flips through to the very back of the book. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but his exams being difficult is just a huge tactic to scare students.” Magnus finds the page he’s looking for and hands the book back to Alec. “The Review Questions are all going to be on the exam. He’ll throw in some made up questions too, but if you study how to ace those you’ll get at least an A- guaranteed.”

Alec looks at the page with his mouth slightly open before looking up at Magnus. “Thank you,” he says earnestly, and Magnus smiles, taking a sip of his coffee to hide it.

“Anytime,” Magnus says. He sees Alec’s eyes flicker over his face and tries to tell himself that it doesn’t mean anything.

“Was the Fire Academy hard for you?” Alec asks, meeting Magnus’ eyes.

“Somewhat,” Magnus says. “The best advice I can offer you is to study hard and train harder - those physical exams are difficult. I had a good study group to help keep me sane. My close friend Ragnor actually is a firefighter for Engine 31.”

“Really?” Alec asks, and Magnus launches into a story of his and Ragnor’s misadventures throughout childhood and the Fire Academy.

Magnus loses track of how much time they spend talking about their close friends - mentioning Ragnor leads into talking about Catarina and Raphael, and then Alec tells him story after story about his ridiculously smart sister who’s studying to be a doctor, his brother who moved away for a job opportunity and his youngest brother, who recently won the spelling bee at school. He also shares stories of Simon, his childhood best friend, and Magnus can’t help but laugh at one of Alec’s ridiculous stories of him and Simon trying to save cats from trees at five years old.

It feels so much like a second date that Magnus can’t help feeling a pang of longing, but he pushes it aside, taking a hasty gulp of his too hot third cup of coffee.

When Magnus glances at his watch, he notices he only has two minutes to get to the station, which is two avenues away.

“Shit,” Magnus says. “I need to get going.”

Alec unlocks his phone and frowns at the time as well. “Yeah, class starts in 15 minutes, so I should head out too.”

They both stand up, an awkward silence settling as they both gather their things. Alec takes his second to-go coffee cup and Magnus picks up the small dish they’d shared a chocolate croissant on and takes it to the barista.

Outside, the air is warmer than it was earlier, and Magnus turns to look at Alec as Alec adjusts his jacket and backpack.

“This was really nice. Thank you for keeping me company,” Alec says softly, and Magnus nods, smiling. He can’t help but smile around Alec.

“The pleasure was all mine,” Magnus says. “Good luck in class.”

“Thanks,” Alec huffs out. “I’ll see you -?”

“Thursday, I’ll be there,” Magnus says with a nod. The air is still a little awkward between them. If they were together, or if this was an official date, Magnus might have kissed his cheek, or maybe his lips, if he was feeling bold. But it’s not, because Magnus is the Captain of the fire department training Alec. That’s a line he’s not willing to cross, but looking at Alec, the sun shining on him, making his eyes look a little more green today that brown, he almost wishes that it had turned out differently between them.

Magnus has never been good with _what if_ s.

“Well, I’ll see you then,” Alec says, chewing on his lower lip for a moment, before walking backwards for a few step and raising his hand in a short wave. Magnus waves back and watches Alec until Alec turns around. Then he sighs, accepting the fact that this is the first time this year he’s going to be a few minutes late, and makes his way to work.

What he doesn’t see, however, is Alec glancing over his shoulder with a soft smile.

__________

“Nice job, Penhallow. Work on your swing more, and make sure you have the correct grip on your sledgehammer,” Maia says, showing Aline Penhallow the grip again, making sure she has it just right.

The Forcible Entry event is one of the toughest physically. They’re all hard, but this event is so technical and focuses so heavily on the mechanics that it’s easy to mess up. Maia believes that starting this event’s training early and giving the students the most time to learn it is for the best.

This is only Magnus’ third time with the students, but since Magnus has spent the most time around Alec, he could tell from the moment Alec walked in twenty minutes ago that something was off. Alec barely smiled at Simon, and didn’t even bother glancing at Magnus, despite the fact that he’s usually in a good and upbeat mood. During warm ups he’d pushed himself way too hard. He’d done as asked when Maia called him out and told him to ease up, but Magnus could see Alec’s fingers rubbing together agitatedly.

Something isn’t right. Magnus can’t help but worry about having Alec attempt the Forcible Entry event without a clear head.

Magnus, Raphael and Dot have been taking turns monitoring the sessions with Maia when their schedules allowed it. Luke had promised to pop in eventually, but Magnus can understand how the Chief would be the busiest of them all. Magnus barely finds time in his own schedule, but he wants to help.

Today, he’s leaning against the wall of the gymnasium, towards the side, dressed down in an FDNY muscle tee and basketball shorts. He’d led the warm ups today, happy to see the students active and excited to learn, despite the voice in the back of his head that told him to consistently check whether Alec is okay.

“Next!”

Alec steps up to the target area, taking the sledgehammer Maia offers him. He looks tense, but there’s not much Magnus can do about it other than pray that Alec makes it out of this practice session in one piece. He knows he shouldn’t be treating Alec any differently to the others because he knows nothing can happen between them, but Magnus can’t help that he’s drawn to Alec and his charm or that he wants him to succeed. In a totally platonic and friendly way.

Magnus doesn’t want to keep thinking about Alec. He knows he shouldn’t be treating Alec differently to the others, because they’ve established their boundaries and what can or can’t happen - but it’s almost a natural feeling. Regardless of the fact that Magnus was romantically interesting in Alec, getting to know him more has just shown Magnus that behind Alec’s pretty face there’s also a bright mind and a big heart.

Magnus is fond of him, if anything. He considers Alec a good man.

“Let me see your grip,” Maia says, checking Alec’s grip and nodding, writing something down on her clipboard. “Your feet stay outside the toe-box at all times. Strike until you see the buzzer light up. Don’t be too worried about your time right now, just make sure you get that buzzer to light up with the proper motion and grip. Got it?”

Alec nods in agreement, his eyes laser focussed on the measuring device in front of him.

Maia pauses for a moment, eyeing Alec up and down before blowing her whistle loudly, startling the rest of the students who are on the other side of the gymnasium, practicing their grip and the Stair Climb event with Dot. Alec starts striking the measuring device, grunting as his swings get wider.

“Tighter swings,” Maia says sternly, her arms crossed over her chest. Alec does as she says, but just slightly steps inside the toe box.

“Toe box,” Maia says as Alec continues to hit the measuring box, getting more agitated. Magnus clenches his jaw. The buzzer isn’t sounding because Alec is missing just outside of the target area. He needs to make cleaner strikes.

 _Come on, Alec_ , Magnus thinks to himself.

It’s not just any recruit screwing up this event - it’s Alec, and Magnus can only guess how hard Alec has worked for this. To see him messing up, watching Alec’s shoulders get tighter with agitation, makes Magnus’ heart break. No one else in the class has failed the event this badly yet, and while Magnus does want all the recruits to succeed, he also wants Alec to succeed specifically.

Magnus shouldn’t think that way - shouldn’t be giving Alec special treatment. It’s unprofessional. But he can’t help it.

“Toe box,” Maia says again, almost moments after Alec fixes his stance. He keeps striking aggressively, the muscles in his back and arms moving with each swing. “Toe box!” Maia calls, louder this time, and Alec lets out a frustrated groan and whacks the measuring device so hard he loses control of the sledgehammer, watching it slide across the gym floor and hit one of the walls with a clang.

Alec is panting now, blinking awake as if he was in some sort of daze, and looks at Maia, who doesn’t seem very happy.

“Two infractions outside of the toe box is a failure. Letting go of the sledgehammer is an instant failure,” Maia says sternly. “What part of go slow did you not understand, Lightwood? Take five.” She huffs and takes the pencil out from behind her ear, scribbling more notes onto her clipboard.

Alec looks unbelievably lost for a moment, his shoulders sagging as he continues to pant from the exertion. He makes brief eye contact with Magnus, as if he’s just realized Magnus saw that whole thing, and walks quickly towards towards the exit.

Magnus sees Simon glancing worriedly at the door, but he’s in the middle of a workout with Dot, so Magnus makes up his mind fairly quickly. He grabs a water bottle from the table and makes his way to the door as Maia blows her whistle in the background, calling for the next student to try the event.

Magnus pushes the bar of the door and walks out, spotting Alec on a bench to his right immediately. His head is in his hands, elbows positioned on his knees, and Magnus sighs, suddenly unsure how to comfort this man he barely knows.

“You look like you could use some water,” Magnus says softly. He watches Alec’s back straighten before he slumps his shoulders, glancing over at Magnus. He looks so defeated it tugs on Magnus’ heartstrings.

Magnus walks over to Alec and sits beside him, offering up the water. Alec studies Magnus’ face momentarily before reaching for it, mumbling a “thanks”.

“You don’t have to tell me what’s going on,” Magnus says, watching Alec take a swig of the water and lean back on the bench, sitting properly next to Magnus, “but I am here to listen if you’d like. Maybe getting it off your chest will clear your head.”

Alec chews on his lower lip, looking out towards the lot. Magnus gives him a moment to collect his thoughts, and he’s about to say something random about the weather just to distract Alec when Alec finally speaks.

“What made you want to become a firefighter?” he asks out of the blue, pausing for a moment and then looking at Magnus.

Magnus purses his lips, thinking back. “I kind of fell into it, I suppose,” he says. “I was at a time in my life when everything felt very hopeless. I was being evicted from my home in Chicago, I realized my girlfriend was manipulative, I had lost my job and my mother ended up in the hospital. I believe that sometimes things in life, especially bad things, have a domino effect. One thing happened and suddenly my life was crumbling in my hands.”

“I’m sorry,” Alec says softly, and Magnus smiles, because there’s nothing Alec has to apologize for, but he’s sure Alec can relate.

“Don’t be,” Magnus says. “It was challenging, and moving back to the city with barely anything wasn’t easy, but I did it. I guess I started looking for something that would fulfill me again. One of my best friends, Ragnor, had been a firefighter for two years at that point, and couldn’t stop talking about how much he loved it. I decided to give it a shot.”

“Why didn’t you go back to your old career?” Alec asks.

Magnus hums thoughtfully. “I could have, but the memories of that were tainted with my memories of my ex, and it was hard for a while. I could go back now, I think, to being a photographer, but I love this too much.”

“A photographer? Really?” Alec asks, surprised.

“Yeah,” Magnus replies with a smile. “I’m pretty good at it too, if I do say so myself.”

“I bet you are,” Alec says.

There’s a beat, and then Alec exhales, fiddling with the water bottle.

“I was taught very early on that I always had to be the absolute best at everything,” he starts. “My parents never really learned how to ease up on that pressure, and I just - I can’t fail this. I need to succeed. For myself, and to stick it to them that I can fulfill my childhood dream.”

He takes another moment, and then looks back at Magnus with a sad smile. “My parents got divorced a year ago, and it’s been tough. They have joint custody, but my little brother lives with my mom. Me and my sister just managed to move out of my dad’s insane household. Right after the divorce, he moved in with the woman he was cheating on my mom with, and forced me and Izzy to deal with it, and it - it wasn’t good. My other brother ran across the ocean to get away from it all. I don’t blame him.”

“It’s been really hard on you,” Magnus observes.

“A little,” Alec says, and Magnus instantly knows he’s selling himself short. “Mom keeps pretending she’s fine with it, but it’s hard for her. I want to become a Chief, and I want to eventually give her a nice house in Upstate New York. She deserves it, for all the shit my dad’s put her through.”

Magnus can’t help but feel for Alec, wanting to help however possible. Alec’s only a few years younger than him, but he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, and it’s starting to stand in the way of Alec fulfilling his dream and doing what he loves.

“That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself, Alec,” Magnus says.

Alec just shrugs a shoulder and Magnus fiddles with the singular ring he’s wearing today.

“Well, then I only see one solution to this,” Magnus says, and Alec looks at him curiously.

“And what’s that?”

“You succeed,” Magnus says simply. “But you do it while focussing on yourself and making sure you’re okay. And you’ll just have to trust me that I won’t let you fail any of the physical events.”

Alec smiles softly, the light breeze ruffling his hair. Magnus tears his eyes away and looks at his hands.

“Okay,” Alec says simply. Magnus looks up to see Alec already watching him and Magnus leans in a little playfully with a teasing grin.

“Besides,” Magnus says, “between me and you, you’re one of the best in the class.”

“Yeah?” Alec asks, raising an eyebrow. “Even though I’m the only person in that gym that’s managed to fully fail the Forcible Entry exam?”

Shrugging, Magnus stands up, offering his hand to Alec. “Everyone has their off days.”

Alec takes Magnus’ hand and pulls himself up, his face looking less closed off and more open. Magnus prefers Alec like this - happier. Alec continues to hold Magnus’ hand between them, and both of them continue to look into each other’s eyes for a moment, their smiles fading with how charged the air suddenly feels.

“Thank you,” Alec says, and Magnus’ lip quirks up.

“Of course.” Magnus studies Alec’s face for a moment. “I believe in you, Alexander. You can do this.”

Nodding, Alec slowly releases Magnus’ hand, and Magnus can’t help but miss his touch instantly. There’s something so warm and endearing about Alec. Magnus is hopeless to his charm.

“We should go back in. Simon’s probably worried and you have to get back to work, I’m sure,” Alec says, and Magnus nods in agreement.

“Lead the way,” Magnus says, watching Alec’s eyes flicker to different parts of Magnus’ face before nodding and smiling momentarily, walking past Magnus and to the door.

__________

Together, Luke and Magnus haul a heavy metal cabinet towards the north wall of the gym, setting it upright. It’s ridiculously heavy, and Magnus can feel the sweat rolling down his back when they finally set it down. Once the cabinets are in place, Maia and Dot can get to work preparing the next event, using mechanical tape to create guidelines on the floor and making sure the 30-pound plastic containers filled with sand are positioned properly on the cabinets’ shelves.

The Equipment Carry event isn’t easy, but it’s Luke’s favorite, so Magnus had agreed to come and help.

The students are clearly starting to feel the physical and mental strain of becoming a firefighter - Maia hasn’t let up on the physical exam, and Magnus knows from a brief talk with Simon, Alec, and Aline that their coursework is only getting more challenging.

Hopefully the Equipment Carry event will ignite a competitive side amongst the recruits.

They’re already sweating from carrying the cabinet and the set up, not to mention that it’s a particularly warm day today in the city and the gymnasium’s air conditioning is fairly weak, so the air is thick with sweat from just the four of them, It’s going to be insane in here when the class comes in.

“It’s hot as fuck in here,” Maia says, fanning herself with her clipboard.

“Good thing we’re firefighters and know how to handle the heat,” Dot says, making Luke snort in laughter. Dot smiles at him, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

It takes another five minutes to finish setting up, and shortly after everyone starts to arrive slowly. Magnus spots Alec immediately, and waves a friendly hello at him, which Alec returns.

The past two weeks have been a growing experience for them both. Ever since both of them opened up to each other, it’s been easier to be friendly, as if it’s less of a facade to distract from their one night stand and something more genuine. Magnus has even gotten to know Simon a bit better, because it’s easier to talk to Alec inconspicuously with someone else around. Maybe one day Magnus will invite Maia to chat with them too, because the way Simon watches her sometimes doesn’t feel completely platonic.

The students file into the gym, then put away their things and line up. Dot starts leading with proper stretches to get them warmed up, everyone following along. The whole class looks more fit after the consistent training for the past 6 weeks. Only one or two people have been severely slacking off, but everyone else is working incredibly hard to impress Maia and pass the events in training so that they’ll have a better chance during the exam.

“Alright team,” Maia says after warm ups, rounding everyone up to stand in a semicircle. “This event is one of the most physical ones we have, testing your endurance specifically. You’re gonna have to remove those thirty pound plastic containers filled with sand, and walk 80 feet - 40 feet there and back - and place them back on the shelf.”

Maia continues explaining the specific rules and possibilities of failing the event, and then gestures to Luke and Magnus.

“Our lovely Captain and Chief here will demonstrate,” Maia says with a cheeky smile. “Because this event is timed and we’re almost halfway through our training, we’re going to turn this into a little competition.” The crowd of students starts excitedly murmuring, but Maia raises a hand to quiet them down. “First, Luke and Magnus will show you how it’s done, then we’ll choose two people randomly at a time to face off. The winner will then go against a firefighter of their choice: Magnus, Luke, me, or Dot. Understand?”

The class nods, and Maia smiles.

“Let the games begin, then.” Maia looks at Luke and Magnus. “Gentlemen?”

Luke and Magnus exchange a glance and go to stand next to each other in front of the cabinet. Everything is clearly marked for them, and Magnus rolls his shoulders back, giving Luke a side smirk.

“I’ll see you on the finish line, Chief,” Magnus says.

Luke laughs. “Eat my dust, Captain.”

They both get into position and Maia counts them down. On the sound of the whistle, Luke and Magnus both bolt towards the sand filled containers. The crowd of students erupts, cheering both of them on.

Magnus gets a head start, grabbing the handles of the containers and walking quickly down his lane. Luke isn’t far behind, however, and Magnus needs to keep up the pace if he wants to win. His back and arms burn from trying to stabilize the heavy weights.

It starts to get really painful towards the end of the lane, and Magnus has to set down a weight momentarily to adjust his grip, but it’s enough time for Luke to catch up with him, and when they start on their walk back, he and Luke are neck and neck.

He hears Dot cheering his name loudly, rooting for him to win, but Luke’s saved his energy, and in the last few strides, Luke manages to beat Magnus to the finish line by half a second.

Magnus and Luke both put the containers back on the shelves, but with Luke’s slight advantage now he ends up winning, and Magnus rolls his eyes fondly, walking towards the water stand to grab a bottle of water, getting his breathing under control.

“I guess our Chief is still undefeated,” Maia says after she blows the whistle to calm the excited students down. “Okay, first off, Simon Lewis and Duncan Armstrong. Get into position!”

Simon ends up winning the first round and they continue eliminating off the losers in the pair competitions. Alec wins as well, but Magnus manages to keep his volume in tune with everyone else, despite how elated he is to see Alec succeeding.

In the end, the finale to compete against a firefighter is down to Alec and Aline, and Magnus notices them making playful competitive remarks to each other on the starting line. Alec has mentioned to Magnus that Aline is the closest friend he’s made in the program, and him, Simon, and Aline are a tight knit trio.

When the race starts, it’s clear to see that after all those rounds of competition, Alec has exerted himself less and therefore has more power in the finale. In the end, Aline gives Alec a run for his money, but Alec ends up a few steps ahead of her, and they end up hugging it out.

Maia blows on her whistle, and tosses Alec a small towel. “Congrats, Lightwood. You’ve beat out the rest of your classmates - now you get to pick a firefighter to challenge. Me, Magnus, Dot or Luke - who’s it gonna be?”

Alec takes a swing of water and wipes the sweat off his forehead as he assesses the four of them. His eyes linger on Magnus, and when he opens his mouth to speak, Magnus is almost certain Alec’s going to challenge him.

“Luke,” Alec says, his eyes still locked on Magnus. Magnus grins, raising an eyebrow and Alec looks pleased. Luke steps up with a shrug.

“Go big or go home, Lightwood, I like that attitude.”

Maia blows her whistle as Luke and Alec line up. There’s no way Alec can beat Luke, Magnus thinks, but he’s curious to see what’s going to happen. Maia counts down, and Luke and Alec are off, racing towards the large containers and taking them off the shelf, beginning their trips down the lanes.

Alec’s barely a second behind Luke as they reach the end of the lane and turn back to make the trip back. Everyone is cheering for the both of them, going between chanting for Alec and screaming Luke’s name.

There’s a moment towards the end of the lane, where it looks like Alec just might beat Luke, but he loses the opportunity, and Luke manages to cross the finish line and mount the containers just two steps before Alec.

“That’s our Chief!” Dot cheers loudly, and Luke claps Alec on the back.

“Congratulations, Luke, looks like you’re still top dog,” Maia says before looking at Alec. “You should be proud too, Alec. You’ve got a really impressive time.”

Alec nods, a small smile on his face as Maia begins to dismiss the class. Luke returns back to where Dot and Magnus are standing triumphantly. Magnus thinks there’s no way anyone in this room would have beat Luke, but he’s glad Alec gave it his all.

As the students start heading out, Alec lingers by the starting line, stretching his left arm across his chest. Magnus sees him and stays back as everyone else leaves. He hovers by the exit, taking a long sip from his water bottle.

It’s only when the last person leaves that Magnus approaches Alec slowly. Alec glances at him immediately, giving Magnus a once over that Magnus pretends not to notice.

“Are you upset about losing to Luke?” Magnus asks conversationally.

Alec’s face slowly morphs into a smile and he leans on the cabinet, shaking his head.

“No,” he says, licking his lips, eyes on Magnus. “I figured I’d lose, to be honest. I mostly chose him because in the slim chance I’d win, I could impress you.”

Magnus’ mouth goes dry. The way Alec is looking at him doesn’t feel as purely friendly as he’d like: it’s more charged, more determined, more like the man he saw in the bar that night. Then again, maybe all his looks are like this and it’s just that this time Magnus is paying attention.

“Well,” Magnus starts, “you’ll impress me if you can beat me. It’s a shame that’ll never happen.”

“What makes you so sure?” Alec asks, his eyebrows raising at the sight of a challenge.

“I’m more experienced, Alexander, it’s just a simple fact that I’d crush you in this event,” Magnus says with an easy shrug. The competitiveness just sort of comes out of Magnus, and he seems to bringing it out of Alec as well.

“Well, I’m younger,” Alec retorts, and Magnus laughs.

“And I’m stronger and faster,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest.

Alec eyes him up and down again and tilts his chin up. “Prove it.”

Grinning, Magnus lifts his chin too, standing straighter. “Gladly.”

Magnus walks past Alec to the starting line of the right lane, waiting for Alec to get into position himself.

“Ready?” Alec asks, glancing over at Magnus.

“In three, two, one - go!”

Both of them race towards the cabinet, snatching the containers off of the shelf and proceeding to walk quickly down their lanes. Magnus knows he has an advantage since Alec has already done numerous races today, but he’s not gonna let it stop him. Alec is slightly ahead, but Magnus keeps up his tempo, and when they reach the end of the lane and turn back, Magnus takes the lead.

He’s sweating profusely, his arms burning from the strain. He doesn’t look over at Alec - can’t - because if he sees Alec’s muscles bulging the way they did in all of the other races, he’ll be very distracted.

Alec is grunting from beside him, and Magnus knows he’s not far back, but unless Alec has a last minute energy boost, he’s not going to win.

When Magnus puts the containers back on the shelf barely a second before Alec, he knows he was right. Even though he’s out of breath and exhausted, he can’t help but be a little smug.

“Okay,” Alec says, but his entire torso is still rising and falling from the deep breaths he’s taking, “congrats, Captain. Maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to beat you.”

“Never underestimate your elders, Alexander,” Magnus says, walking over with him to the water stand and tossing Alec a water bottle. Alec catches it deftly, keeping his eyes on Magnus as he unscrews the cap and takes a big gulp.

“Thanks for the lesson,” Alec says after he’s set his water bottle down, and Magnus catches the playful tone.

Magnus lifts up the hem of his shirt and wipes away the sweat on his forehead. “One day when you’re Captain of your own station, you can beat the students who train there too.”

And that’s a lovely thought. If Alec has his own team and isn’t in Magnus’ fire squad, they could explore this thing between them. Explore the unresolved sexual tension and the longing glances. Magnus has tried to ignore it, push his feelings aside, but he _likes_ Alec. He does. And he has a gut feeling that Alec likes him, too.

It’s only been 6 weeks of Alec’s training - he’s not even halfway done, yet Magnus can’t help but feel hopeful. Maybe, possibly, in the future, both of them will still feel this way and have a chance to figure their relationship out.

Watching Alec smile at him, his sweaty hair stuck to his forehead and his cheeks flushed, Magnus can’t help but wonder what’s in store for them. 

**Author's Note:**

> i don't know when ch2 is coming but it's all planned out and i promise it's on it's way. regardless, thank u for reading and feel free to follow me on [tumblr](http://alecsimon.tumblr.com) and [twitter](http://twitter.com/magnusbanes_)!!


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